144 



The specific gravity, determined by Mr. W. S. Chapmaii, 

 Analyst to the Mines Department, varies slightly in the vicin- 

 ity of 36. Many of the chips examined under polarized light 

 exhibit the usual twinning. They scratch topaz readily. 



Cyanite of a blue colour occurs abundantly, but the 

 waterworn flakes are too small to be of value. 



Sagenite. — Small waterworn grains and fragments, some- 

 times as much as two carats in weight, of a golden-coloured 

 mineral resembling tigers- eye are abundantly distributed 

 through the gravel. Under the microscope the effect is seen 

 to be produced by very numerous jjarallel hairs of rutile 

 traversing quartz. 



One small pebble of clear quartz shows several hairs of 

 rutile crossing it, after the manner of Veniis''s hair stone. 



AvENTURiNE. — One waterworn fragment. 



Amethyst. — Several pebbles of pale-coloured amethyst. 



Rock Crystal. — Many of the waterworn, crystal-clear 

 quartz pebbles are as brilliant, and appear similar to, the 

 white topaz. Indeed, the miners call it topaz. It is, how- 

 ever, easily distinguished by the use of heavy solutions, 

 though the absence of basal cleavage is not easily detected 

 in waterworn specimens. 



Hyacinth. — One fragment, about f\ in. in diameter, with 

 specific gravity about 4'2, of a clear orange-yellow mineral, 

 has been isolated by Mr. W. S. Chapman. This fragment 

 has a hardness of 7'5, and agrees in other ways with the gem 

 quality of zircon. 



Tourmaline. — Abundance of small waterworn particles 

 of an opaque-black worthless quality. 



Monazite. — Several small grains of a light-yellow heavy 

 mineral, resembling monazite. 



Rutile. — Abundance of crystal rtitile up to h in. in 

 diameter, with the edges more or less waterworn. The 

 crystals appear dark-coloured, though the powder is of a 

 very light-yellow colour. 



Gold. — Coarse waterworn fragments and colours. 



Specimens of the female ruby, topaz, topaz-like rock 

 crystal, and tigers-eye have been cut, and form handsome 

 stones. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE VT. 



Fig. 1. — Photograph taken about 500 yards north looking 

 towards the Gordon Reward placer, wliich forms the flat-topped 

 hill in the distance occupying from the centre to the right of the 

 picture. 



Fig. 2. — Photograph taken in a side gully looking east, again 

 showing the characteristic flat top of the placer. In the fore- 

 ground are heaps of white quartz pebbles, accumulated as refuse 

 <luring the puddling of the wash. 



